Outside Magazine’s 2013 Gear Of The Year At Tahoe Mountain Sports

We found more than twenty Gear Of The Year winners in the 2013 Outside Buyer’s Guide that are sold at Tahoe Mountain Sports. It feels good to be reassured we’re carrying the gear you want the most! Here’s a quick rundown of what’s in the mag and in our store.

The following products were chosen by Outside Magazine’s team of testers and may or may not reflect the true opinions of TMS employees.

The Deuter Aircontact Pro 70+15 was deemed the “best for the heftiest loads” and “most breathable big pack” because its padding and fit system work so well and provide great comfort while ventilating to keep you cool.

Osprey Xenith 88 and Women’s Xena 85
The best all around backpacking backpack that holds tons of gear and is featuristic, plus hugs the hips very well. The heat-moldable hip belts come standard, as with any Osprey backpacking pack, and are great for hauling larger loads.

The North Face Casimir 36 Backpack is the “best pack for overnights and all day adventures”. With minimalist features, a fast and light design, and one of the most customizable hip belts and torso lengths on the market, this ultralight daypack is perfect for overnight jaunts or bagging peaks from basecamp. Click here to watch the video.

The best Tent Of The Year is The North Face Mica FL 2 – a three-season, two-person ultralight backpacker. It weighs less than 3-lbs, sets up in a jiffy and breathes incredibly well. Vertical sidewalls create more comfortable living space and, according to testers, the Mica FL 2 has “the easiest doors to climb in and out of”. Click here to watch the video.

The Nemo Nocturne 30 spoon-shaped sleeping bag is the best bag yet for those of us who sleep on our sides and want the most comfortable sleep possible in the backcountry. The curves mimic our body shape, a water-resistant footbox protects the insulation from condensation on your tent wall, and the bag only weighs two pounds.

The Salewa Firetail GTX took the top of the podium for best alpine climber this year. A narrow toe box with waterproof and breathable protection is incredibly comfortable, and climbs 5.8 routes with ease thanks to the Vibram outsole and sticky under-toe grip.

The La Sportiva Jekyl VS won the “best all around beginner/intermediate climbing shoe” award for 2013. They breathe really well, have a 5-mm Vibram XS Edge sole, and are great for both climbing indoors and on longer granite pitches.

Best Climbing Jacket

The North Face Alpine Project Hoodie has stretch panels under the arms so you can reach high and far for rock holds without exposing your wrists or hips, and the front pockets are accessible while wearing a harness. This soft shell jacket from The North Face also makes for a good spring-skiing jacket, warm layer for running, and just about any other sport in cooler weather.

The North Face Verto Pro Jacket is super lightweight and packs down to the size of a peach. This sport climbing jacket is water-resistant and perfect for those afternoon storms that roll through during late-summer.

The favorite backpacking stove of 2013 is the MSR Reactor 1.0L, which works in the heaviest wind gusts, boils a liter of water in 3.5-minutes, and weighs less than one pound. The stove and fuel can fit inside the pot to help save space for lightweight backpacking trips.

Platypus GravityWorks 4L water filter works so fast I had to double-check I was using it properly. That’s me talking, not a tester for Outside Magazine or a Platypus sales rep. It’s one of the few items on this list I’ve actually used, and I love it! Just fill it up with water, hang it from a tree, and wait a few minutes. Also check out the Platypus GravityWorks 2L system.

The Oakley Radarlock sunglasses are lately the best sunglasses for running. They stay in place during wet and sweaty workouts, and the interchangeable lenses (two pairs included) are great for unexpected changes in weather and light conditions.

The low-profile Smith Pivlock sunglasses were called the best cycling sunglasses because they give you the ability to swap out lenses when the light changes, and they’re designed to stay on your face even when you’re sweating bullets and charging toward the finish line.

The Icebreaker Villa Dress is the perfect travel dress. Made from merino wool, it won’t wrinkle in your suitcase or backpack and will dry surprisingly fast. The Prana Lahari Halter Top is perfect for swimming and surfing – it stays up when you get tossed over the falls on a big wave or while diving for a volleyball on the beach, and is super cute and comfortable.

GoPro, the leader in POV action cameras for years-on-end, just released the GoPro Hero3 Black Edition. With a F/2.8 wide angle lens and a macro lens, 12 megapixels for superior visual clarity, and the option to shoot either in slow-motion or at 30 frames-per-second, you shouldn’t waste your time with other point-of-view cameras.

Best Sports Drink

Nuun Active Hydration Tabs are one of the few formulas that actually taste good, and they’re full of electrolytes with absolutely no sugar! Nuun definitely has good leverage above competitors who are convinced they have the best sports drinks.

Best Headphones For Sports

Finally, earbuds for sports designed for smaller women’s ears! Yurbuds Inspire Women sport earbuds don’t fall out when they get wet, not even in your most active state, and the sound quality is excellent –
especially for the price.

That wraps it up for our 2013 Gear Of The Year award-winners. We have many other products that win similar awards every season, but this post focused solely on those recently highlighted in Outside Magazine.